"Photography helps people to see." – Berenice Abbott
Do
you “see”? Do you mindfully take time to appreciate the glorious sights
that surround you? Do you find similarities in beliefs and dreams
reflected where you least expect them?
The incredible
photographic work of Berenice Abbott is without a doubt
thought-provoking. And while I agree that photography helps you to see, I
also think music, literature, painting, printmaking, drawing, and in my
case collage, also encourages introspection.
My passion for New
York runs deep. While many people find rejuvenation rambling through the
countryside, the sound of my heels clicking a staccato rhythm on the
sidewalk sets my soul on fire. And if I can’t physically be in New York,
Berenice Abbott’s dramatic black and white photos are a passport not
only to my hometown, but to another time.
Looking at
Abbott’s catalogue housed at New York Public Library, I decided to work
with a photo of a Manhattan courtyard on laundry day taken in the
1930’s. The realist in me knows doing laundry in the tenements was a
back-breaking job at best. But the romantic in me yearns for the days of
seeing clothes strung on a line, the patterns and colours enhanced by
the sun and wind.
I knew I needed a background as dramatic as the
photo. I chose a handmade scarf completed at a workshop I attended at
the Carlisle Arts Learning Center. The silk chiffon was accordion
folded, secured with wooden blocks, drizzled with reactive dyes and
steamed in the microwave to set the colour. It was the first time I
tried this technique and I was extremely pleased with the results.
The warm tones of coral, orange and yellow were the perfect framework for the cool palette I chose when using
Artistcellar’s Seafoam stencil.
The foamy look of the stencil merged perfectly with my wash day theme.
And that’s what I love about the Artistcellar products. The only limit
to their use is your imagination. With a swash of watercolour, a splash
of acrylics and
Artistcellar Halftone Dots, my background was nearly complete.
But
something was missing. Looking at the patterns formed by the laundry I
wondered what stories they had to tell. Life was challenging, but still
there was hope. I wondered about the letters sent home to family and
friends…some who would be making the journey soon and others would only
experience Die Goldene Medina through their eyes. So I added the text in
Chinese, Italian, and French.
The Arts are a mirror
by which we see a reflection of ourselves and each other. A photo, a
painting, a bit of prose...they all help us to truly see that hopes and
dreams are passions we all share.
MATERIALS USED:
- ARTISTCELLAR SEAFOAM STENCIL
- ARTISTCELLAR HALFTONE DOTS SERIES STENCILS
- 100% SILK CHIFFON SCARF
- REACTIVE DYES: CORAL, YELLOW, ORANGE
- WOOD BLOCKS
- STRING
- ROYAL LANGNICKEL WATERCOLOURS – FLAT & PEARLESCENT
- REEVES METALLIC ACRYLIC: GOLD, BRONZE
- PLAID FOLK ART METALLIC ACRYLICS:ROYAL GOLD, AQUAMARINE, AMETHYST,
PLUM, ROSE, CHAMPAGNE
- NATURAL SPONGE
- FLAT PAINTBRUSH
- RUBBER CEMENT & ERASER
- DIGITAL IMAGES
